Jesus’ incarnation wasn’t just to save you for heaven’s riches, it was to sympathize and help you with earth’s sorrows.

The answer to our brokenness is meeting God where he has met us.

Humanity started in a garden. And then it was broken in a garden. And then it was healed in a garden.

Every judgement we render on others is ultimately a judgement we render on Jesus. For our every gavel drop is a rebellious proclamation to the Judge of the universe saying, “I don’t think you can handle this one, Jesus. I got it.”

Sin soils the soul and we are sinners. Stained and unclean, our ceremonial washings of posturing and peacocking, our makeup and machismo, our religious machinations and moral majorities aren’t the soap and lye that work. Only mercy will do.

Mercy is the hands of grace.

So if this is true, why are you so anxious? You are known by God. Why are you so insecure? You are known by God.

Consider the 10,000 things God has orchestrated in your life. The plays he has called, the people he has put you around, the purposes he has drawn up for you. Psalms 56:8 says God has put your tears in a bottle. How many tears are in that bottle? You probably don’t even know, but God does.

An infinite God of infinite beauty and infinite goodness is infinitely inexhaustible. God is indefatigable in his very nature; and his nature is glorious. In his presence is fullness of joy and at his right hand our pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11)—more forevers is a long time.

Skeptics don’t wonder. Have you ever met a skeptic that hums?

They traded awe for knowledge. Wonder for answered questions.

Doubt is a part of the journey of faith. A life without doubt is not a life of faith. A life of faith is belief through the doubt—it strengthens the faith.

We want to move from life to Resurrection. From life to a more fulfilled life. From some money to more money. From some sex to better sex. From just life as an existence to life fulfilled. This is what politicians are selling and what marketers promote. We want better and more, and what we’re saying is we want Resurrection power.

The victor isn’t first the victim, right? We love our heroes to first face conflict, but never defeat. And surely we don’t follow in their footsteps. We want the happy ending without the tragedy.

In suffering with us, Jesus becomes like us. He knows your sorrow. He understands your weakness. He can sympathize with you in the waiting. He knows death. He was the victim.

We should embrace the mess of our hearts that sorrows and sufferings reveal. If you took an honest look in there you would find the remains of a battle already won. Jesus was victorious, but torn limbs and broken hearts still remain on the battlefield. And much of the Christian life is spent applying the same Gospel that won the war to the cleaning up of the aftermath. Christ was victorious, but it takes some time for us to learn how to live as victors and not victims. Embrace it. In the mess, Jesus is there.

God restores what we have torn.

The victim was the victor, and the cross is still the throne from which he rules the world.